


Love, or Something Ignites in My Veins

by inabodycastofglass



Series: Dropped - The Awful Blue [2]
Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: College AU, M/M, Title from a Vanessa Carlton song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:41:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28993092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inabodycastofglass/pseuds/inabodycastofglass
Summary: Richard took a deep breath and his eyes fluttered open. They actually fluttered. It wasn’t fair the way Asbel’s heart mimicked them.
Relationships: Asbel Lhant/Richard Windor
Series: Dropped - The Awful Blue [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1310933
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Love, or Something Ignites in My Veins

Asbel stirred awake, sensing first what episode of The Mask of Barona was on. Episode fifty-seven. Last he remembered Richard and he were on episode fifty-three, so they had fallen asleep around two hours ago. With a heavy arm, he shut the show off.

Richard took a deep breath and his eyes fluttered open. They actually fluttered. It wasn’t fair the way Asbel’s heart mimicked them.

Asbel had never felt the overwhelming need to smile before this simple soft smile Richard gave him.

“We fell asleep,” Richard said, turning on his side to face Asbel. “That’s the third time this week.”

“You seem to be feeling better lately.”

Richard nodded. “I don’t sleep well in my room.” He moved almost imperceptibly closer to Asbel.

His throat was sore from trying to keep his breathing even. He turned to face Richard, blond hair spread across his bed, touching Asbel’s face.

Asbel’s knuckle touched the back of Richard’s hand. He made to pull away before Richard looked down at them. Asbel froze, watching him.

Doing the bravest thing he’d ever done, Asbel slipped two fingers in with Richard’s.

Richard’s eyes snapped up, locking with Asbel’s, staring at him. Asbel noticed for the first time that there were speckles of red in them.

There was no going back now. Asbel leaned in, pausing close enough that he could feel Richard’s quick, warm breaths on his lips, waiting to see what would happen.

There was a long moment of nothing that dragged on, because Asbel didn’t want to accept what had happened.

“Sorry.” When Asbel moved away, Richard moved forward, taking Asbel’s face in his hands, kissing him.

Asbel had no idea what he was doing, but Richard seemed to, thumbs stroking his cheeks, lips fitting perfectly against his; so Asbel tried to mimic him, his head fuzzy, chest hot as a fever. He could feel Richard’s warmth against him.

Both gasping for breath, they pulled apart, then came back together again.

When they really stopped, they both looked at each other, and broke into laughter.

“How long?” Richard asked.

“October. You?”

“Over winter break, when we went on that late night walk.”

“We could have been doing this over Christmas?” Nearly four months wasted.

“I don’t think I was ready then.”

Asbel watched him, eyes flitting from Richard’s mouth and back up to his eyes. “And now?”

Richard kissed him again, and this time Asbel circled his arms around Richard’s waist. They had a lot of catching up to do.


End file.
